Colorado Avalanche / NHL

Avs defenseman Shane O'Brien collides with beauty

The Avs value Shane O'Brien, left, in the locker room and on the ice, where he is known to stand up for his teammates. AAron Ontiveroz, Denver Post file

From a hockey standpoint, the most beautiful person in the Avalanche organization isn't a woman.

It is defenseman Shane O'Brien.

"He's a definition of a beauty," Avs defenseman Kyle Quincey said of the mile-a-minute talker and jokester.

Definitions may vary, but the common thread of a hockey beauty is a tough guy who "puts a smile on your face whenever you're around him," Avs forward TJ Galiardi said.

O'Brien, 28, has what Ian Laperriere brought to the team from 2005-09 before the forward signed a free-agent deal with the Philadelphia Flyers. They are extraordinarily personable, two guys who love being at a rink and in a locker room, and talk about anything that's on their minds. On game nights, they stick up for teammates and are seemingly unafraid of anything.

They are warriors with a soft side. A joke waiting to happen and a Canadian "eh?" completing each sentence.

"Shane O'Brien, in a nutshell. That's a beauty," defenseman Kyle Quincey said. "He wears his heart on his sleeve and is very passionate. He's definitely not afraid to make plays and speak his mind. We were in desperate need of that around here, and he's been a great addition to our squad."

O'Brien, from Port Hope, Ontario, played for Nashville last season and Vancouver, Tampa Bay and Anaheim before that in an improbable 423-game NHL career (he was the 250th selection in the 2003 draft). He missed four games recently because of a knee injury but returned to the lineup in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime victory over Florida. Nicknamed "O.B." or "Beauty," O'Brien didn't play in last week's three-game road trip, but he flew to Phoenix for the final game of the trip against the Coyotes on Monday to skate with the scratches and assistant coaches.

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"We missed him so much, the team flew him in," Quincey said, smiling.

Said Galiardi: "Those few games when he was hurt, I said we were missing something. And he was it. I actually call him Beauty, like a lot of the guys. That just shows how great of a guy he is. He always keeps it loose, but at the same time he's such a great leader."

Captain Milan Hejduk appreciates the support. O'Brien doesn't have the "C" or "A" on his sweater, but he is unquestionably one of the team's biggest leaders.

"Positive guy. He likes to talk. Great relationship. Great guy," Hejduk said of O'Brien. "We're glad to have him here. He pumps guys up before the game. Just everything. Great addition."

Avs coach Joe Sacco said O'Brien's on-ice leadership has been key for the NHL's youngest team.

"From a coach's standpoint, that's more important, but if you talk about intangibles, you can talk about O.B.," Sacco said. "He brings a lot of positive energy, both on the ice and off the ice. He's certainly a character."

O'Brien, a bachelor, is just grateful to play hockey for a living. "We're very blessed to be playing in the NHL, and if you can't have fun playing the game that you love, you can't have fun doing anything," he said. "I probably talk a little too much. Some days the boys are probably like, 'Button it up a bit, O.B.' But I like to joke around with guys, poke fun at them a little bit. It's all in good fun. We spend so much time together, if you can't make fun of each other and take it with a grain of salt, you're in the wrong business.

"I've learned that things seem to work out for guys that do the right things and have the right attitude."

COLORADO AT LOS ANGELES

8:30 p.m. today, ALT, 950 AM

Spotlight on Justin Williams: The Kings forward is on a six-game points streak, with three goals and eight points during that stretch. Williams, 30, was furious the last time he faced the Avalanche, because his first-period goal was disallowed on a questionable call in what turned out to be a 2-1 shootout win for the Avs. Williams was a first-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2000.

NOTEBOOK

Avalanche: Veteran goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere will make his second consecutive start and fourth in five games. He also might start in Sunday's game at Anaheim, one of his former teams. Giguere spearheaded a 4-2 win at Anaheim on Dec. 31. ...Defenseman Jan Hejda (groin) is available after missing Wednesday's 4-3 overtime win over Florida. The Avs have eight healthy de- fensemen but only six will play tonight, coach Joe Sacco said.

Kings: Los Angeles is coming off a 2-1 shootout loss to Calgary on Thursday. The Kings have produced points in their past six games despite winning just three. They have lost in a shootout or overtime three times during that stretch. L.A. also lost in a shootout to Colorado on Jan. 2 (2-1). In their last 18 games, the Kings are 10-2-6, amassing 26 of a possible 36 points. ...The Kings have allowed only 16 goals over their last 12 games. ... L.A. is 16-2-5 when scoring first.